Rose's Thorns
by Tai the Darkwind Alchemist
Summary: Rose had a normal life until two certain alchemists turned up in Lior. Now in the aftermath of Carmello's defraudation, she has no hope. Can Tai help her reclaim that hope? RosexTaiOC rated m for sexual innuendo
1. Prologue

This is my first official fic. flames are discouraged but i dont really care what the naysayers think. I gave Rose a middle name and a last name because made the story before i saw the seventh episode, so if this has any resemblance to the show its coincedental. Other than some pictures from the fic being at Darkwind-alchemist. i have nothing else to say...

except that i don't own full metal alchemist or any of the characters in it... cus if i did... well Rose... um yeah k lets not go there. Not saying that more than once ;>> ahh i'm such a cool dork.

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_"Heed the words divinely spoken,_

_may your restless heart be broken-_

_let the supernatural take hold..."_

Prologue--

Entry 231

May 26, 1956

Today, I finally came to grips with the fact that Cain is never coming back, ever. All that time serving Carmello, all those advances... the stress, wasted months thinking that miracles could bring him back to me. He was sadly proven a fraud by Ed and Alphonse. The idiots... although they saved me, took the hope of an entire village with them when they left. I would have rathered kept believing foolishly, than my heart shattered. The hope that my poor Cain would be brought back to me was what kept me getting out of bed each morning. Now it's gone.

Over the three days they stayed, i'd gotten to know the young alchemists as friends. They were all I had in the world other than my foster mom and my hopes and dreams. But Ed left me in the hot desert sand. No hope. No friends. What hurt me the most was that I almost fell for him, and he deserted me. Ed, Alphonse, Carmello... all some form of alchemist using bastards... I hate them.

My only wish now is to move on... A fifteen year old girl should never be so stressed. Anyway, for closure, I'll visit Cain's grave one last time. Then I just want to forget...

Rosaline Erin Kayser


	2. Closure

A thin sheet and homemade patchwork quilt slid down from it's place on a middle sized bed, sinking to the stained wooden floor of the room above the bakery shop. Sunlight crept it's way through the paneless window, shadowed by transparent lavender curtains. That sound... A small child quietly reached his small hands up to the edge of the cot where the teenage beauty lay, sleeping. The toddler blinked at her before pulling himself onto the matress. Wrapping his fingers around the girl's tanned wrist, he tried to shake the girl awake.

"Rose!" his voice drew out, "Wake up time!"

Rose simply shook her head sleepily, and turned her body around, curling up into a ball. The frustrated five year old pinched the strap of her nightgown impatiently trying to awaken her again, but only succeded in pulling it down over her arm. The boy clasped his fingers to his mouth apologetically.

"Oops... I sorry Rose. I didn' mean to!"

The boisterous child had finally succeeded in waking her. Her mahogany eyes stood half open as she pulled her drooping slip back up. A yawn escaped her mouth shortly before she sat up, clasping her face. Her dark brown hair with hot pink bangs sat disheveled on her head. Her hands stretched the nightgown down over her legs. The boy hopped back down from the bed, and now stood where the young woman's long, slender legs hung off the edge of the matress. He gave her a weird childish smile and waited for her to say something.

"... come play with me outside."

"Nmm...mmm." Rose shook her head, it still being in her hands."

The tot's expression turned sympathetic now as he jumped back onto the bed. He then put a small warm hand to her clamy forehead.

"Are you feelin' well?"

"...I'm fine Kota..." she lied with a fake smile.

"Please go wait for me with mom okay? I have to get dressed and run a fewerrands."

He nodded an hugged the girl who in return embraced him tightly. As the kid skipped down the stairs, she tried to wake herself fully, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Still tired, she made her way to the bathroom adjacent to her room, taking the towel from the chair pushed into her desk. The bathroom door closed, and every morning activities ensued. Teeth brushing. She glanced into the mirror a couple of times while rinsing. She couldn't get much sleep while those words kept running over and over again through her head, even while unconscious. "You've got a good set of legs there Rose. Get up and use them."

_The last words he said to me before he left... What the hell did he mean?  
_

The young girl hurled her tooth brush at the mirror in frustration before falling to the floor, sniffling, on the verge of tears. She would have cried had her adopted mother knocked on the door.

"Rose? You okay in there?"

"I'm fine mom." she lied again, rubing her eyes, before standing up.

_I've got to stop thinking about him.._

The shower water was warm now. Rose pulled the gown over her head, hopping in in an instant, trying to get used to the warmth overcoming her body. She closed her eyes as the messy hair fell limp down past her shoulders. Rose became pensive as she grabbed the bottle of soap blankmindedly, and began lathering her entire body. Then she just stood there while cleansing water wash the suds away from her frame. The sleep disappeared from her eyes though she still felt exhausted. An attractive girl even when miserable. And miserable she was, for more last words flew through her head.

_"You know Rose, brother was only trying to help..."_

_Damn alchemists..._

"Alright mom I'm going to out to run a few errands, I'll be back by dinner" Rose yelled, carrying her basket full of bread out of the bakery."

"Be careful out there", her mom returned."

She stepped away from the door, and began walking down the road towards the cemetery, thinking about not necessarily anything, and at the same time, everything. The streets of Mirage City were paved with marble stone and fountains streamed water everywhere. The only thing Carmello did right was make this city wealthy, she thought, as she unmindedly returned the greetings of those who she knew waved. The sky seemed a clear blue, and there were no clouds in the sky, but the closer she moved towards the cemetery, the more ominous the surroundings seemed, the place of mourning being right behind that damned church. Of course to cover up Ed and Al's detective work, they hired some look-a-like to take Carmello's place. This building held so many bad memories, yet she kept walking towards it. Shrouded in fog now, Rose remained undeterred as she kept along the path to Cain's only living memory; the tombstone lying in the middle of an open space, covered in flowers mostly set there by herself. She kneeled down by the tombstone determined not to shed any tears this time. Closing her eyes and placing the basket beside the stone, she decided to communicate through thoughts, in a prayer like position.

_…This is goodbye… The stress of remembering you is too great. I know we'll meet again another day, but this is so long for now. Cain._

There was silence for five minutes before Rose's brown eyes slowly opened again and picked up her basket and one lone daisy to put in her hair before heading out. The two men guarding the gates to the garden of death closed the gate behind her when she left, on the verge of tears still holding them back. Outside the cemetery was a gray stone wall surrounding it. Rose turned around to survey her surroundings once more before she wiped her moist eyes and continued on her way to her next errand. Feeling relieved when the sun and blue sky escaped from behind the fog covering them, something gleamed from the left. She saw it with the corner of her eye. With nothing better to do at the moment, the young girl decided to investigate.

_There it is again._

She followed the light slowly until she caught up with the source. By then she wished she hadn't. It was that metallic pocket watch. Clearly round shaped with a picture of what seemed to be a lion on the front, with a chain connecting it to the wearer's belt. Rose stopped dead in her tracks and her basket dropped, spilling all of her food. Her eyes widened and her lower lip quivered a bit. Tears were forming below her eyes and she couldn't stop them. The figure in the wake unaware of the wrong he'd commited, by being an alchemist, and being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He slept unconscious against the wall of a building, shrouded in all black.

_No… not again._

"You… what are you doing here! Stupid alchemists ruined my life… What are you here for? Trying to find another life to destroy? Huh?

The figure clothed in a black cloak, a jacket, some wrinkled jeans and a headband wouldn't answer; he seemed to be sleeping, but a once dormant rage had released itself from Rose and she couldn't control herself. Her countenance had faded, and she had no forgiveness for these alchemists. After he didn't answer her two other times, she walked towards him and shook him violently. She didn't care how old he was, or who he was for that matter. All she knew was that she hated state alchemists. After hitting his head on the wall of a building he was leaning against. The young man finally started to stir a bit, rubbing the bruise on the back of his head with a gloved hand.

"Ow."

Rose stepped back a little regaining her composure, realizing what she did was stupid. This person hadn't done anything to her. It was the residue of hatred... The young man brought his head out of the shadows and stood up, his eyes still closed stretching his arms. His skin was of light brown complexion like hers. His hair was jet black and his face was gentle when it displayed any emotion at all.

"Mm. Sorry miss, but I have nothing to do with the jerks you say ruined your life, so don't lump me in with them."

"I apologize, I couldn't stop myself… Are you hurt—"

"On the other hand, you are strong for a girl…"

He finally opened his golden- brown eyes and gave a small smile, before putting his hands in his pocket. They both for a few seconds gazed at each other's attractiveness before the young man spoke again.

"Wow. You're pretty" he stated non-chalantly, embarrassing her. "What's your name beautiful?"

"Rosaline" she stuttured, looking down as he towered over her.

"I'll call you Rose alright?"

She nodded as he stepped closer towards her.

"So how old are you anyway?"

"Fifteen."

"Hm? Fifteen. Thought you were at least seventeen… Oh well."

As soon as he was right in front of her, he placed a hand on her chin, tipping it upwards to observe her face. Rose, too surprised, was unable to step away. There was something warm about his touch…

_Tears… I don't know what that's all about. I'll fix it._

With two fingers, the nameless young man traced the trail of dried tears on Rose's glowing face, seeing the streaks disappear as he did so. Next, he gently touched the daisy in her soft brown hair. For a second electricity crackled before in the place of the small yellow flower, ironically appeared a pure white rose. He stepped back satisfied with his work and took his hand from her chin. She fell towards him losing her balance and stumbled into his arms. She found herself missing the warm touch when he put her back on her feet. It made her feel… safe.

"Be at peace Rose" was the last thing he said before putting her back on her feet and starting to walk off. She stood dazed in place, and when she finally noticed that he was gone, regretted she hadn't asked his name.

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Back at home, Rose played with the white petals of the rose she found in her hair shortly after the encounter with the strange alchemist. Her mind stayed occupied on that moment all day. She hated alchemists so much, but what about him... She couldn't understand how her opinion which at first was so firm, could so easily be swayed by a stranger. She gently touched her finger tips to her cheek, feeling the warmth pent up inside. She was even blushing. How...

Tbc

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ill put more up once i get at least five reviews alright? tell me how im doing, so i can edit the other chapters before i put them up. thx

Tai the Darkwind Alchemist


	3. His Name

Two days later—evening

Making her best effort to forget the alchemist she'd met, Rosaline tried doing other things to take her mind off him for the sake of not being stressed but that flower she continued to wear in her hair was a constant reminder of what happened. Yet, she refused abstinently to throw it away against her own wishes. But when it began to wilt she had no choice but to keep it at home in a glass of water.

She sat quietly at the desk in her room picking at the plate of food in front of her. When she couldn't eat anymore, she scooped the left over dinner into a trash can and relaxed her head in her own arms on the desk, staring at nothing at all before she caught a glimpse of the flower again.

_Alchemy… is it in itself evil? Or are there just certain people who have chosen to use it that way… why haven't I thought of that before. What I did two days ago was completely stupid. I know now that I'll probably look back later after I've gotten over this, that Ed and Al probably were just trying to help… but pride sometimes kept me from seeing the truth. That guy never did anything to me, but I… and then after that he was still nice about it. I wish I could've at least apologized correctly. If I were to meet him again though he'd probably think I was crazy. …but alchemy. If it could create something this beautiful, it can't really be as bad as everyone says it is. Maybe I'd want to learn it myself. Maybe that guy would have helped me, but it's so obvious he was a wanderer that it'd be a miracle to find him again._

She shut her slipping eyelids giving them the sleep they wanted right there in the chair, falling dormant for the night.__

--next morning

The sun wasn't out yet, but the low murmurs coming from downstairs were loud enough to wake Rose upstairs from her sleep. Her mahogany eyes flickered in annoyance first and then curiosity. Knowing that the shop didn't open until eight and that her mom usually didn't have visitors over, Rose kicked the sheets off of herself and started for the stairs slowly but surely, sporting only her evening gown.

"Mom?" she called quietly walking down the steps. The murmurs now could be heard in full conversation as Rose peeked over the railing.__

"--Sure you can, and thank you again for—"__

"Rose?"__

There was a man standing beside her mother but his back was turned until her heard her tiptoeing down the stairs. When she saw who it was, she ran back up the stairs into her room embarrassed.

"What in the hell is he doing here?" she yelled in the privacy of her own room. Her hair was frizzled, she was in her underwire, and on top of all that, he'd seen her.

_Be careful what you wish for right?_

Rapidly, she pulled on some appropriate clothes and ran back to the stairwell.

"Oh Rose, this is Mr.—""

"—Nagasa—" he finished, smiling when he saw the spastic girl, with the clothes she wore yesterday wrinkled and being worn again.

"Yes… he found your basket and returned it here. Isn't that nice? Anyway, I'm allowing him to work here for the week he'll be in town. He needs to make some quick cash before he goes out again."

"…We've met…" Rose started, "I just never got his… name" she said in spread out intervals panting from the hustling she did.

She stood stone still in front of young man looking up at his face, not wanting to bring up past incidents again.

"Not to be rude sweetie but can I have your first name too?"

"Uhh…" he murmured uneasily.

"Sorry if you're uneasy about it you don't have to tell me." Ms Kayser said.

He then turned back to Rose who couldn't speak. Ms. Kayser started back toward the stairs watching quietly wondering what was going on.

"… Rose right?"

"Yes that's right… How come you ran off yesterday without even telling me your name?" She laced her own hair and fidgeted distractingly, trying to quickly change the direction the conversation was going into.

"You didn't ask? Really I don't tell anyone my first name. As you can see I only told your mother I assume, my last name. But I'm far from a Mr. ha. But was there anything left to say… We were complete strangers."

"I didn't get a chance to apologize properly, and-- Well why don't you?" Rose inquired.

The young man sighed lightly for a second, and then looked up at the clock.

"Well we have an hour before its time to go to work, and you seem to have a lot of questions…"

Rose pulled up a couple of chairs and smiled gently up at his face which was scrunched up a bit, before he got that dull look in his eyes again. Emotionless. Lacking in luster and that which showed the evidence of humanity completely. He carefully slung his jacket and cloak over a chair before neatly slouching into the chair conveniently beside him. Everything about him seemed automatonic.

"So. What do you want to know?"

Rose clasped her hands together ecstatically before speaking.

"First… When did you become a State Alchemist?"

"Two years ago."

He was quick brief and to the point.

"Okay… What's your special name they gave you when you became one?"

"Dark Wind Alchemist. They gave it to me because I specialize in motions involving the wind though I've learned to control other elements as well."

Rose now brought the wilting flower from behind her back, and picked at the petals for a while before looking back up at the dark haired yet still somewhat stranger.

So mysterious…

"You did this right?"

He then smirked at his handiwork with brevity, but even his interest in that sequence of events dissipated soon and he became monotone once more.

"Yes, I did."

"Well could you fix it… I wanna see."

The stranger took the flower from her hand before looking up at Rose while she smiled, staring intently on the movement of his hands. He bent over and collected the dead petals from the floor. Then he crunched the white rose up inside his fists, making sure everything was destroyed.

"Hey… why'd you do that?"

"Shhh…"

Rose got quiet again and watched as he drew some weird sort of mark on the floor consisting of a star and a circle and a few triangles.

"Watch." He insisted as he scattered the broken flower inside the circle.

Next he pressed his hands down on the circle. What followed was a strange golden glow covering the circle riddled with stray sparks of blue electricity. Rose stared in awe when he pulled the new flower from the chaos and put it back in her hair .

"That's what you wanted right?"

Rose glowed brilliantly in silence for a minute before saying thank you timidly. The clock finally struck eight, and the young alchemist started to stand from his chair.

"Well that's our cue to get to work huh?" he stated as he started to walk out of a door with a delivery cart, leaving Rose alone next to the chairs.

"Hey wait! Why don't you tell anyone your name?" she asked before he left.

"An important rule of the State Alchemists is to not become emotionally attached to anyone. While this may seem silly I find that anyone I give my name to without the purpose of doing business always get attached…"

_Wow isn't this guy conceited…I only asked his darn name-- _she thought as her eyebrows furrowed slightly and her arms crossed.

"..so I haven't given my first name to anyone in two years. Only my alchemist name. Ever since I …"

He paused a second and looked down. Then he started to walk away again.

"But aren't we doing business Mr. Nagasa? She replied coyly. "You basically work for me and my mother. And I already have your alchemist name." she declared with her hands now on her hips.

The nameless man turned around once more giving the girl a light smile before answering.

"My name is Tai… Nice to do business with you Miss Rose."


End file.
